RRHS Musical Wins Top Popejoy Award

This year’s RRPS musical, "Big Fish," landed a prize catch at the second annual Popejoy Awards, the area’s top honors for high school musical theater productions. And that's no fish story!

The show, a collaboration of the RRHS drama, chorus, band and orchestra, and dance programs, was named “Best Production” for 2017, recognizing its overall quality in all theatrical dimensions. Four of the show’s lead performers were finalists for individual honors: Walker Sikkens, Ethan Lum, Katherine Noel, and Genevieve Romero. The production was directed by RRHS drama instructor Gael Natal, assisted by choir director Becky Talbott, orchestra director Matt Casarez, and choreographer Lois Moreno.

Original story:

A talented and stellar cast is on stage at Rio Rancho High School this weekend, ready to entertain with their annual musical production. And we're not making this up. We have to point this out because, you see, this year's show is all about a son's suspicions that his father has made up large swaths of the story of his life -- the stories he's told his son over the years.

Big Fish is based on the book and the movie of the same name, and is a poignant story of a son’s discovering the amazing truth about his father's double life. Performances are at 7 PM Friday and Saturday (April 21-22), with a 1 PM Saturday matinee. Adult tickets are $10 ($5 for the matinee) and are available at the door.

Rio Rancho High's musicals are a tradition that go back well before the hit TV show High School Musical made singing and dancing trendy. Over the years RRHS students have trod the boards in such classics as Guys and Dolls, Oklahoma!, and The Sound of Music, as well as more recent hits including Grease, Shrek, Seussical, The Wedding Singer, Urinetown, and Tarzan.